THE TRUTH
ABOUT EASTER
2Timothy 2:8-13
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This
is my gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like
a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for
the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ
Jesus, with eternal glory. 11Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him,
we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we
disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains
faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
WHAT IS EASTER?
Easter is the celebration of the bodily resurrection of Jesus which,
according to the Bible,
occurred three days after His crucifixion (Matthew 12:40; John 2:19-21). He was
crucified as a sacrifice for us--as a substitute (Isaiah 53:4-6)--where our
sins were put upon Him (1 Peter 2:24), and He died with them. He was a
sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26; 10:12); and when we trust in the sacrifice of Christ
for forgiveness of our sins, then we can be justified by faith (Romans
5:1).
WHERE DID THE WORD ‘EASTER’
COME FROM?
The word "Easter" is not found in the Bible except
in the King James Version. Acts 12:4, "And when he had apprehended
him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to
keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people." The greek
word translated is pascha which means
Passover.
- Originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honor of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of Christ, which occurred at the time of the Passover."
- "The name, which has been attested as early as the eighth century A.D., is believed to have derived from annual sacrifices in honor of Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess. The Eastern Church, following the practice of early Jewish Christians, first observed the celebration on the fourteenth of Nisan, the first day of Passover. The Western church, following the Gospel accounts of Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 28:1), set the festival on a Sunday, the first to follow the new moon which occurs on or immediately after the vernal (spring) equinox as determined by the Council of Nicaea (325); thus the dates for Easter ranges from March 22 to April 25."
Clearly, Easter is not commanded by God, was not observed by
the Apostles of Christ, and only became part of Christianity after there had
been deviation from New Testament Christianity.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE
OF OBSERVING EASTER?
Observing Easter in honor and memorial of Christ can be
categorized as not abiding in the doctrine of Christ. 2John vs 9 “Anyone
who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have
God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
It must be noted though that using the word ‘Easter’ is not
wrong as long as it is purely descriptive and not in reference to religious
observance. For instance, Saturday is named in honor of the pagan god of agriculture—Saturn.
Does that mean we cannot use the word to refer to that day of the week? When we
celebrate our birthdays, by what biblical authority are we doing that? Does it
mean we are sinning since there is no biblical authority for birthday
celebration? No! Rom.14:5
When you observe Easter and all the traditions attached to
it, it is not God you are worshipping but man. Read Matt. 15:7, 8
- Ash Wednesday is the name given to the first day of the season of Lent, in which the Pastor applies ashes to the foreheads of Christians to signify an inner repentance.
2. Lent (Latin:
Quadragesima - English: Fortieth) is a solemn religious observance in the
liturgical calendar of many Christian denominations that begins on Ash
Wednesday and covers a period of approximately six weeks before Easter Sunday.
3. Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. It has fallen on
March 29, 2015
4. Maundy Thursday (also
known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great
and Holy Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries)
is the Christian holy
day falling on the Thursday before Easter. It
commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with
the Apostles as
described in the Canonical gospels. It is the fifth day of Holy Week,
and is preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.
5. Good
Friday is a Christian religious
holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his
death at Calvary.
The holiday is observed during Holy Week as
part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday proceeding Easter Sunday,
and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover.
It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday, or Easter
Friday, though the last term properly refers to the Friday in
Easter week.
6. Holy
Saturday (Latin: Sabbatum Sanctum) i.e. the Saturday of Holy Week,
also known as the Great Sabbath, Black Saturday, or Easter Eve, and
called "Joyous Saturday" or "the Saturday of Light" among Coptic Christians, is the
day after Good Friday. It is the day before Easter and
the last day of Holy Week in which Christians prepare for
Easter. It commemorates the day that Jesus Christ's
body lay in the tomb.
7. Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday,
is a festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred three
days after his crucifixion by Romans at Calvary c. AD
30. It is the culmination of the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent),
a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.
8. Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and
is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially
Catholic and Eastern Christian cultures. Easter Monday
in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar is the second day of
the octave of Easter Week.
All these are alien to the doctrine of Christ as revealed in
the Scriptures.
WHAT IS TRUE?
TRUTH IS “GOD DOES NOT
WANT MAN TO HONOR OR WORSHIP HIM WITH WHAT HE HAS NOT ASKED OR INSTRUCTED!”
It is true that Christ made a triumphal entry into
Jerusalem. Luke 19:28-40
It is true that he observed fast for 40 days and 40 nights
after His baptism. Luke 4:1-2
It is true that he died, was buried and on the third day he
resurrected from the dead. Matt. 27:33-36; Luke 23:33; John 19:17-18; Matt 28:5-7;
Luke 24:1-7; 2Tim. 2:8
He was seen by over 500 people after His resurrection.
1Cor.15:3-8
He was unequivocal in stating what He wants His disciples to
do in memory of His death, burial and resurrection—The Lord’s Supper, The Last Supper or Holy Communion. Matt.26:17-30;
Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-20
It is when you stick to the teachings of Jesus Christ that
you are His disciple.
You will know the truth and it will give you freedom. John 8:31-32
I remain yours without dross
Daniel Jimi
For Questions and Comments,
danogunjimi@gmail.com
Twitter handles:@danieljimi
@verityguardian
Phone: 234-806-282-2555
insightful
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